The Aftermath
by HPontmercy
Summary: In the wake of the GAP attack, Jeremiah's life is a mess.  JObless, single, and upset over  his boss's display of discrimination, he turns to his best friend Cory, who helps him know he'll be alright, in the aftermath.  Rated T for language... so far. :D


**Hi! this is a story about Jeremiah, who I felt was largely ignored. He showed up in _one episode_ and then disappeard. So, here is his story!**

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><p>OH.<br>MY.  
>GAWD!<p>

That did not just happen! Oh, wait... maybe it did.

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><p>Jeremiah could not believe what had just taken place. He had been working quietly at the Gap, nonchalantly folding some polos in the men's section (on sale! $9.99!) when out of the blue a twelve piece a capella choir showed up, fronted by that cute kid, Blaine, Jeremiah had taken out for coffee two or three times, and began serenading him. Now jobless, he sat in Starbucks and forlornly stirred his cappuchino. This had to be the worst Valentines Week ever. Single, jobless, adn surrounded by pink hearts.<p>

Jeremiah had never been more humiliated in his twenty years. Nobody at work knew he was gay, and if any of them had suspected it, this definitely sealed their suspicions.

The worst part of the situation had to have been Blaine's song choice: When I Get You Alone, by Robin Thicke. _Ughh. _Though the now-ex assistant manager had to admit the Warblers' arrangement had been pretty slick, and Blaine's voice remarkably well suited to the song, it was just... wrong. Totally inappropriate. The song, a lusty heterosexual ode mentioning sex toys, had nothing to do with... well, anything!

It seemed to Jeremiah that he wasn't the only one who disagree with the song choice. The slim boy who'd been sitting with Blaine outside after the "Gap Attack" had seemed less than enthused about Blaine drool- and make a fool of himself over-another guy. Yeah, he had to be gay too, with his perfectly coiffed hair, designer coat... not to mention the noan Rivers-esque attack on his hair. Yep, definitely gay. Maybe Blaine would notice that the guy had a thing for him and go after Joan Rivers boy instead. Maybe even in time for Valentines Day next week.

_Who knows?_ thought Jeremiah as he ignored the wink from a girl at the nest table over. _Maybe he'll find love with Joan Rivers Boy_

After all, he deserved it. Blaine was a good kid, handsome, friendly, talented-he was just... overly foreword. A great catch for any guy willing to put up with public professions of adoration. He just wasn't Jeremiah's type, not to mention age. Even if Jeremiah had recipricated the young boy's feelings, it wouldn't have been legal for them to date. Despite what Blaine may have thought, a few friendly chats over Starbucks coffee weren't actually dates. Jeremiah had seen Blain as someone to talk to about their similar situations, someone he could relate to about being a young gay man in conservative midwestern Ohio. But out-and-proud Blaine had seen their conversations indicative of something more.

Jeremiah sighed into his now cooling drink. He really wished Blaine the best in life and in love. The shorter boy was sweet and serious, . A great catch for any guy. Hmmm... Jeremiah mused, Maybe Joan Rivers boy would be good for him. It was true. Blaine would probably, no, definitely have a shot with the kid, if only he'd pay attention. Gosh, Blaine was so clueless

He stood up, heaved an exasperated sigh, and mouthed 'I'm gay' at the relentlessly flirtatious blonde, who refused to stop giggling at him. She instantly stopped waving, and Jeremiah gave her a sympathetic smile. He walked out of the coffee shop into the February air, and braced himself against the cold.

_Time to begin the job__ hunt. _

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><p>"You're home early," called Cory Collns, Jeremiah's roommate from the small kitchen the boys shared. Cory was a skinny, gangly redhead with a smattering of freckles across his upturned nose. Though constantly compared to Ron Weasley, he only resembled the Harry Potter character in appearance. The odd duck in a successful family, Cory was a quiet, dorky artist with a stoic demeanor. He and Jeremiah had been best friends since the first day of fifth grade, when new-kid Jeremiah had brought several copies of X-Men, Cory's favorite comic. The boys soon bonded over their love of all things DC and Marvel, and had stayed friends ever since. Now roommates at Ohio State University, both boys had turned their love of comic art into art majors. "No parties?" Cory joked. He opened the cupboard where all of the cheap plastic dishes were kept, and immediately regretted it. Severaly bowls tumbled out, striking him on the head.<p>

"Nope. No parties," Jeremiah said darkly, "no job either." He flopped onto the threadbare couch the boys had managed to sqeeze into their diminutive living quarters, and turned on their small, staticky television set.

"You got sacked? Man, I thought you were in for a promotion! What happened?"Cory said, as he struggled to prevent more dishes from falling out of their cupboard. He managed to slam the door shut, but not before several dishes made their way onto the floor. He cursed under his breath, and tried in vain to pick up some of the without releasing his hold on the door.

"Yeah, you would never-dude, what are you doing out there?" inquired Jeremiah as he heard the commotion coming from the kitchen.

"I am making ramen," Cory grunted ",which is proving to be exceedingly difficult, since _someone _refuses to put the dishes away properly..."

Jeremiah laughed, and stood to help his friend. "By someone, I'm assuming you mean me?"

"Mmmmhmmm, now, GET OUT HERE!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Jeremiah chuckled. As he entered the kitchen, his laughter grew louder. "Oh, God, Cory! You just... you just fail!"

"A hand?" asked Cory, peeved. Jeremiah stooped to gather several plates from the floor underneath the folding table. In the cramped spaace, both boys reached for the same dish, and their heads collided.

"Ow!" cried Cory.

"Hey, it's not my fault!"

"It's okay. Hey, there's a bowl by your knee."

"Where? Oh-" he grabbed it and handed it to Cory, who placed it on top of his neat stack. "I'm so glad your mom bought us shatter-resistan dishes... otherwise, we'd have a full-blown disaster on our hands."

"And, we'd be back to eating off paper," pointed out Cory.

"And everyone knows you can't eat ramen off of a paper plate..." Jeremiah gave Cory a knowing look.

"Hey!"

Jeremiah sttod up and placed his stack o plates, making a big deal of how carefully he did it, so as not to piss off Cory. After all of the dishes were placed back in their spaces, Cory ceremoniously closed the cabinet door.

"There," he said smugly, "that is how you put dishes away."

"How do you know I wasn't trying to booby trap you?" Jeremiah grinned smugly. Cory rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Just don't do it again!"he playfully socked his friend on the arm. "So, Jer, why don't you tell me what happened today at work?

"Honestly, man, you would not believe me if I told you..." sighed Jeremiah, shaking his head, which caused his blond curls to sway.

"Come on..."

"Fine." he relented. "You know that kid Blaine I took out for coffee?"

"The one who goes to Dalton?" Cory and Jeremiah had gone to Dalton in high school.

"Yeah. Anyway, this kid shows up with the Warblers, and starts-singing to me!"

"A capella?" giggled Cory, remembering his brief stint as part of the prep school's choir.

"Yup. And, here's the worst part: guess what they sang."

Cory pretended to ponder this. "Hmmm... 'Falling in Love ina Coffeeshop'?" he ventured, seeing as it fitted the situation well.

"Haha, no." Jeremiah laughed sarcastically.

"Let's see... How about... "Total Eclipse of the Heart'?"

"Because that has anything to do with anything. Nope, you get one more guess."

"I dunno... Oh! The Barney song! 'I love you, You love me-'" Cory sang the first few words of the song in his best purple dinosaur impression.

"Really, Cor?" the blonde asked, glaring.

"Well, what else would get you so embarrassed?" questioned Cory, defending his guess.

"Try, 'When I Get You Alone.'" Cory said, causing his roommate to immediately erupt in peals of laughter.

"Robin Thicke? No way!"

"Yes way." Jeremiah stated, not enjoying this nearly as much as his friend.

"Because... Because that fits so well! Pff! You are _absolutely_ kidding me! Wait... doesn't that song have to do with sex toys?"

"Yes." Jeremiah muttered. "Yes it does."

"Wow," chuckled Cory, "No wonder you got fired."

"Shut up."

"Sorry man, but you gotta admit it was a pretty crappy song choice."

Jeremiah didn't answer. Instead, he strode wordlessly over to the sofa and resumed sullenly watching a rerun of "The Price is Right."

Come on, it's not the end of the world," Cory consoled him, following Jeremiah to the tiny living room. "There are other jobs... Menards is hiring! I could put a word in with Bill, I'm sure he'd love to have you on!" He suggested, taking a seat next to his roommate.

"You know why Scott fired me?" Jeremiah interrupted, suddenly. "It's not like I had any control over Blaine; he couldn't have fired me for that." His voice cracked. "No. It's because..."

When he trailed off, Cory finished for him. "Because you're gay?" Jeremiah nodded, blinking back tears. "You know, you can't let people trat you like that," said Cory, angered. "Scott can't fire you for being gay! That's discrimination! You can... you can sue!" Riled up, he continued in this vein. Though he himself was straight, it seemed as if Cory took more personal offense to discrimination against Jeremiah than Jeremiah did. Ever since the day in tenth grade when Jeremiah came out, Cory had been his protector, valiantly defending his best friend from the heartlessness of their fellow students. When Jeremiah had cried form the darkness of being the only out gay kid at their school, and the death of his father from cancer, Cory had been there, showing him that he wasn't alone. Now that they were in college, Cory still did all he could to defend his friend.

Jeremiah grinned up at his friend, whose eyes glinted with fury. Then he sighed and sunk down further into the sofa. "Why would I even want to go back there? How could I show my face at the GAP again?"

"You could wear a bag over your head," joked Cory.

"Nah, don't think so Cor."

"Yeah, maybe not," admitted Cory, who then grew serious. "But really, man, you need a job. I'll talk to Bill, set up an interview. You can't afford to be unemployed."

"Especially since my scholarship ran out, and my mother, bless her soul, spent my college fund on... whatever it is that has here all... discombobulated."

"What? I thought she cleaned up!" Cory was concerned. Jeremiah's mother, a widow with four kids, had had a drug problem, but in recent years had been working to kick it.

"Yeah, well, she was trying, but it's been hard on her since Dad died. And her new boyfriend is a user. He's a bastard."

"Hm." Cory leaned back and pretended to be absorbed in the game show, but he was really thinking about his family. The Collins were wealthy and successful, and well liked, but their family history was riddled with dark secrets they kept hushed up, brushed under the rug.

The two roommates sat in silence for a while, watching nervous contestants attempt to guess the correct amount of money the different items cost.

"Oh, he was so close, but that bitch..." Jeremiah muttered as a particularly attractive young man in a tight tank top lost to a middle aged woman with a bad perm. "Damn, he was hot."

Cory shook his head. "And that means he deserves to win "The Price is Right?"

"Definitely! Check out that ass." said Jeremiah, as the contestant returned to his seat. "He's a winner in my book."

Cory pretended to scrutinize the guys rear end. "Eh," he noted. "Not my type." Jeremiah laughed. They continued like this for a while, poking fun at the ridiculous guesses and sore losers.

"Speaking of your type," said Jeremiah as a girl who resembled Cory's girlfriend won a prize, "What are you and Jessicka doing for V-day? "

"I don't know... I'll take her to Breadstix over in Lima, they're cheap."

"Come on, that's as romantic as you're gonna get?""I've only been dating her for a month!" scoffed Cory, who would rather not be dating her at all.

"Well, if you want to date her for more than a month, you've got to sweep her off her feet!"

"Maybe. But really, I don't know how to be romantic..."

"Why don't you serenade her? Go to where she works, bring an a cappella group, out her in front of the whole store..."

"Jer?"

"Yeah?"

"Chill."

"Fine." he said, still sore over the day's events. "You know what? I'm going to bed. G'night Cor."

"Night, Jer." Cory thought sleep sounded particularly appealing, but decided to return to the kitchen and continue trying to make ramen. He still hadn't eaten. He managed to make a bowl without setting the dorm on fire, and once he'd eaten, was too tired to change out of his clothes before crawling into bed.

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><p>Cory had lied about the guy on "The Price is Right" not being his type. In truth, he'd found the well-muscled young man extremely hot.<p>

That's right. Cory was gay.

He had been sure of it since Junior Year, when a failed date with head cheerleader Amber Roderick had forced him to wish he was with Jeremiah. When the vivacious blonde had wanted to make out he'd been reluctant, and ultimately left her in her car wondering why the underclassman had refused to get in on with the most sought after girl in school.

Amber was just one of a long string of girls who had dated Cory, attracted not by his intense personality, artistic talent, or dorky-cute looks, but by his family's money. They all wanted to be Mrs. Collins, heiress to a popular resort estate. Though none of these relationships ever lasted very long, Cory used them to his advantage: the series of girlfriends, though sporadic, managed to keep Cory's true sexuality secret, from his friends, his family, and from himself. In fact, he was currently dating a scene girl named Jessicka (though he doubted that was how it was spelled on her birth certificate) who was a little obsessed with him.

When Jeremiah came out, Cory was at first indifferent. To him, it didn't matter if his best friend was gay and he wasn't. Why should that affect their friendship? But as time passed, he found himself realizing that he had feelings for his oldest and best friend.

He didn't ever tell Jeremiah. It's not that he was concerned he's care; in fact, there had been a time Cory was sure Jeremiah had a crush on him. That wasn't the problem. The big issue was the Collinses. They were... less than accepting.

When Cory and Jeremiah were in seventh grade, Cory's cousin Aaron came out to his family. His horrified parents plead with him, trying to convince him to change what they thought were his 'sinful ways', but to no avail. Eventually, they threw him out of the house, where he had been staying while attending college, and cut off his money for school. He was forced to abandon his History/Psychology double major, and move in with his boyfriend. No one had hearad from him since.

The Collins family did their best to phase Aaron out of their lives, hushing the incident with a series of carefully crafted lies and omissions. Every so often, his name would crop up in conversation, as members of the close-knit Collins family would remember the incident and speculate on what had happened to Aaron. Rumords flew that he was dead, dying of AIDS, or living on the streets. These rumors were confined to family gatherings or gossipy phone calls. The Collinses had an image to protect.

Now in college himself, and having succesfully remained closeted for several years, Cory was terrified that the same fate would befall him. In fact, he had not told his family that Jeremiah was gay, so as not to be deemed guilty by association.

He never even told his best friend.

Cory would be spending another Valentines Day alone.

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><p><strong>Okay, so he's not alone, because he has a girlfriend, but he doesn't love her, soooo...<strong>

**Anyway, there's cha[ter one!**

**if you've read this far, please find it in yourselves to review this. I'm a relative nOOb, and am welcome to all constructive criticism. I'd really appreciate you telling me what I need to work on, fix, change, or keep doing. I value your input. :D**

**So with that, I bid you all adieu, until the next chapter, Crazy Possessive.**

**Preview:**

**"Anybody here?" A series of frantic knocks bombarded the door to Cory and Jeremiah's apartment. "Hello, Cory! It's your girlfriend!"**

**Cory groaned and rolled over. It was 6 am.**


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